Bowling ball polisher



Aug. s, 1946. L. CLOUTlEfi 2,405,344

BOWLING /BALL POLISHER Filed May 15, 1945 Patented Aug. 6, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims. 1

This invention relates to polishing equipment, and more particularly to polishing equipment for bowling balls.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved apparatus for polishing bowling balls and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved bowling ball polishing machine of extremely simple and efficient construction.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description and claims, and from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a bowling ball polishing apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail view of a bowling ball bottom support member employed in the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the gearin means employed to provide a reciprocating motion for the bottom support member of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawing, l designates a frame structure comprising vertical corner posts 2 connected by a first horizontal shelf member 3, a second horizontal shelf member 4, and a top horizontal shelf 5. Mounted on shelf 3 is an electric motor 6 carrying a pulley 'l on its armature shaft. Mounted on shelf 4 is a bearing member 8 which rotatively supports a shaft 9. Shaft 9 carries at one end a pulley i0 connected by a belt H to pulley l, and at the other end an elliptical gear 12.

Mounted on shelf 4 adjacent bearing member 8 is a bracket member 13 formed with a vertical shank portion i4 having a reduced upper end portion l5. Slidably mounted on upper end portion 15 for vertical reciprocation with respect thereto is a sleeve member l6 having rigidly secured thereto, as by a set screw H, a circular gear member l8 which meshes with elliptical gear i2. An oil hole I!) i provided for lubricating the bearing surface of portion l5.

Carried by the upper end of sleeve member 16 is a bowl-shaped receptacle 2i] to the upper rim of which is secured by an external metal strap member 2! a polishing cloth 22. An internal cushioning ring 23 of rubber or similar material is secured to the inner surface of said upper rim underlying cloth 22, and the cavity between cloth 22 and bowl member 20 is padded with rags or the like to provide a cushion for supporting a bowling ball. A plate member 24 may be employed to provide a false bottom for the bowl-shaped receptacle 20.

A bowl-shaped member 25 of similar structure to member 20 is rigidly supported by an appro-' priate bracket member from the under surface of shelf 5 in vertical registry with bowl-shaped member 20 and identical lateral bowl-shaped members 26 are provided, said lateral members being rigidly supported on vertical bars 27 secured between shelf 5 and shelf 4. The spacing of the bowl-shaped members is such as to allow random reciprocating movement and rotation of a bowling ball positioned in the central space between them, said movement and rotation being imparted to the ball by the actuation of bowlshaped member 2l3.by motor 6 and the elliptical gear 12 driven by said motor. Said random movement is derived from the reciprocation and rotation simultaneously imparted to bowl-shaped member 2!] by said elliptical gear l2. Frictional contact of the bowling ball with the polishing cloths of the respective bowl-shaped members during the random movement of the ball produces an efficient and uniform polishing action.

The polishing cloths employed on the bowlshaped members should be fairly rough but not scratchy.

While a specific embodiment of a bowling ball polishing apparatus has been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention other than as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A polishing device for a spherical article comprising a bowl-shaped supporting member for said article provided with a flexible abrasive supporting surface for supporting the article within said bowl-shaped member, means for simultaneously rotating and vertically reciprocating said bowl-shaped supporting member to thereby irnpart a random motion to said article, and stationary flexible abrasive members defining an inclosure within which the article is retained and adapted to be frictionally contacted by the article during its motion.

2. The structure of claim 1, and wherein said stationary flexible abrasive members are mounted on inwardly facing bowl-shaped members.

3. The structure of claim 1, and wherein said flexible abrasive supporting surface and said stationary flexible abrasive members are each provided with cushioning means.

4. The structure of claim 1, and wherein said means for simultaneously rotating and vertically reciprocating said bowl-shaped supporting member comprises a horizontally positioned downwardly facing annular gear axially secured to the supporting member and an elliptical gear meshing with said annular gear, said elliptical gear being mounted for rotation around a horizontal axis, and means for rotating said elliptical gear.

5. A polishing, device for a spherical article comprising a bowlshaped supporting member for said article provided with a flexible abrasive supporting surface for supporting the article within said bowl-shaped member, means for simultaneously rotating and vertically reciprocating said bowl-shaped supporting member, and means defining an inclosure Within which the article is retained during its rotating and reciprocating motion and comprising an inverted bowl-shaped member vertically registering with said bowlshaped supporting member and inwardly facing laterally positioned bowl-shaped members, each of said inwardly facin bowl-shaped members and said inverted bowl-shaped member adapted to be frictionally contacted by the article during its motion.

LEO CLOUTIER. 

